May 4, 2018 | 11:54AM

New York Giants offensive tackle Ereck Flowers blocks as Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Robert Ayers rushes during the second half at Raymond James Stadium. (Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports)

Giants safety Landon Collins said offensive lineman Ereck Flowers skipped the team's voluntary offseason program last month over the signing of left tackle Nate Solder.

Collins, speaking on WFAN's "Boomer and Gio" on Friday morning, said he did not receive a text back from Flowers in the offseason, but his cousin, with whom Flowers is close, did. According to Collins, Solder's signing was the reason why Flowers wasn't with the team and was instead in Miami.

"He's just unhappy that they picked up [Nate Solder]," Collins said. "That's it."

New Giants head coach Pat Shurmur told Flowers earlier in the offseason that with Solder, who signed a four-year, $62 million deal in March, at left tackle, Flowers would have the opportunity to compete at right tackle. Shurmur said he thought Flowers was accepting of that, however Flowers was the only player who did not show up to any of the team's voluntary offseason workouts.

"At this point, again everything is voluntary," Shurmur said. "He's chose to train down in South Florida. But I saw a lot of good things from him a year ago on tape. He's just sort of made the decision to train away."

Added GM Dave Gettleman: "He's in Miami and we're here. He decided not to come. He's an adult. He has the ability to make decisions on his own. This is a voluntary program and he's decided to stay in Miami. If you want to know why he's not here, call him."

Collins, as one of the team's captains, said he thought Flowers should have been with the team to help learn a new offense and get acclimated with the rest of the team.

"Definitely, I would say he needs to be here, as a teammate and as a captain because we need him here, need to get the line together so they can be on the same page," Collins said. "We got a quarterback, we got a running back, we got these talented wide receivers, we got to run with this."

Flowers, 24, has a cap hit of $4.579 million this season and was reportedly on the trading block during the draft, however given his struggles, his cap hit and his $2.4 million in guaranteed money, no team thought it was worth a trade.

"Ereck is my boy," Collins said of Flowers, whom the Giants drafted ninth overall out of Miami in 2015. "At the same time, he has a lot to learn, and at the same time he has to work harder.

"He came in last year, he thought he did what he needed to do -- he lost weight, he was in proper shape, thought he played good in the first couple of games and just kind of went downhill when the season went downhill."

The Giants declined Flowers' fifth-year option for 2019, and earlier this week, he signed with agent Drew Rosenhaus, who said he plans to speak with the Giants soon.

"After being a first-round draft pick," Collins said of Flowers, "he don't want to be called a bust."

After watching Dwayne Haskinsput on a show in his Pro Day at Ohio State, the Giants are back on the road to see more top quarterback prospects in action on Thursday.

According to SNY's Ralph Vacchiano, Pat Shurmur will be present in Morgantown, WV to watch Will Grier and the rest of the Mountaineers perform at their Pro Day. Grier is another intriguing quarterback prospect, though he isn't considered to be a first-round talent.

The 6-foot-1, 214-pound Grier has an interesting college story that began at Florida in 2015. He was expected to lead the Gators following his freshman season, but a PED suspension for taking an over-the-counter substance led him to transfer to West Virigina. He had to sit out the entire 2016 season as is the rule for transfers, and he showed out in his junior season.

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Giants 7-round mock draft 2.0: Gettleman gets edge rusher at No. 6

New York also takes combine standout WR D.K. Metcalf in Round 2

The Giants now have 12 picks in the upcoming NFL Draft, which gives them a chance to fill a lot of holes and strengthen a lot of weak positions. It's very early, but here's a look at how those 12 picks could go:

Ohio State hosted many NFL teams at their Pro Day on Wednesday, and though DE Nick Bosa didn't participate in any drills, top-rated QB Dwayne Haskins showcased his talents on the indoor turf. And the results were impressive.

Experts on hand to watch the 6-foot-3, 231-pound Haskins sent rave reviews out through Twitter after watching him go through his full workout where he missed only a couple throws. The consensus was Haskins hits all the marks physically, and he showcased his arm strength and accuracy the entire time.

Licata and Hein unveil their bracket as March Madness kicks off

Mar 20 | 11:52PM

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March Madness is officially underway as the NCAA Tournament has kicked off. So, in the spirit of the Big Dance, SNY's "Loud Mouths" decided to make their very own bracket -- but not the one you're thinking of.

Instead, Sal Licata and Jon Hein has compiled a bracket of the best New York transactions since the start of 2018. And who's the No. 1 overall seed? If you guessed Odell Beckham Jr., you're correct.

Is there any other transaction that can top the Giants sending away one of the most talented NFL players in the game right now?

La Canfora speculates that the play for the Redskins could be to trade from No. 15 to get the Jets' pick at No. 3. That would allow them to jump ahead of the Giants at No. 6 and snatch Ohio State QB Dwayne Haskins from them (if he is indeed who the Giants are targeting).

Aside from the Giants and Redskins as candidates who could try to deal with the Jets for No. 3, La Canfora mentions the Broncos and Jaguars, but doubts either would do it.

According to SNY's Ralph Vacchiano, Shurmur was present at the Pro Days for every top quarterback in last year's NFL Draft and have been expected to do the same this year. Last week, they were in Oklahoma for QB Kyler Murray's pro day and should also be present at Drew Lock's showcase at Missouri on Friday.

Before the world found out about the blockbuster trade between the Giants and the Browns, Saquon Barkley received a call from Odell Beckham Jr. -- the highlight of the deal.

"We talked over FaceTime, he had just gotten traded, so I don't think he was really happy about it," Barkley told NJ.com's Matt Lombardo after Penn State's Pro Day on Tuesday, where the former Nittany Lion went to support his former teammates. "He just gave me some advice about how to handle stuff in the league. He was the same old big brother to me that he's always been."

Barkley was out in Los Angeles with WR Sterling Shepard and TE Evan Engram working out together in preparation for the upcoming season. Beckham has also been out in LA doing the exact same, but he had been in out in Paris when he got the call from GM Dave Gettleman that he was moving him to Cleveland.

Dave Gettleman was absolutely right when he said "This narrative that Eli (Manning) is overpaid and can't play is a crock." Of course he can play. Just look at his numbers from last season. And he's not even one of the Top 10 highest paid quarterbacks in the league anymore.

Yet somehow over the last few years, Manning's detractors have taken his late-career decline to ridiculous extreme. They make it sound like he's a 50-year-old who can't heave the ball 10 yards anymore, while he's eating up half of the team's space under the salary cap...

The Giants have several needs to address throughout the remainder of the offseason -- not simply the future at quarterback.

One position group that could use an influx of dynamic talent is the defensive line. On Tuesday, defensive coordinator James Bettcher and defensive line coach Gary Emmanuel attended Alabama's pro day, specifically to check out defensive line prospect Quinnen Williams, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post.

Williams is a projected top-five Draft pick, and the Giants hold the sixth and 17th overall picks in the first round. If he does slide to the Giants, though, perhaps his talent will be too much for Dave Gettleman to pass up, even though the general manager desires to secure the franchise's quarterback of the future sooner rather than later.

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Giants to have presence at pro day of potential NFL Draft target Dwayne Haskins

Head coach Pat Shurmur, offensive coordinator Mike Shula expected to be on hand

The Giants will be well-represented at Ohio State' pro day on Wednesday.

According to NJ.com, both Pat Shurmur and offensive coordinator Mike Shula are expected to be in attendance, presumably to focus on former Buckeyes quarterback Dwayne Hakins. The Buckeyes will also have other top-tier talent performing, such as pass-rusher Nick Bosa and defensive tackle Dre'Mont Jones.

According to SNY's Ralph Vacchiano, the coaching duo were present at the Pro Days for every top quarterback in last year's NFL Draft and are expected to do the same this time around. Last month, they were at Oklahoma for QB Kyler Murray's pro day and should also be present at Drew Lock's showcase at Missouri on Friday.

Dave Gettleman was absolutely right when he lamented the fact we're living in an "instant gratification world" during his conference call on Monday. There's a rush to judge everything, a demand for an immediate payoff. Everyone wants to be first with a knee-jerk reaction or a juvenile social media take.

And so it was with the Giants' trade of Odell Beckham Jr. and, really, their entire offseason. Gettleman didn't get nearly enough for his star, some screamed. He has no plan, yelled others. Tweet by tweet, it was clear the world of keyboard warriors believed he didn't have a clue.

Giants GM Dave Gettleman sounds like he wants to draft a QB

'Bring in a young kid and let him learn from the old pro'

By John Healy | Mar 18 | 4:53PM

While Giants GM Dave Gettleman will not divulge much on what his plan is, he sounds as if he is ready to take a quarterback in the draft this April.

After addressing reporters via conference call earlier in the day, Gettleman went on WFAN with Mike Francesa where he was asked about whether or not he still wants to find the future quarterback of the franchise.

"Obviously we have to address it," Gettleman said. "I'd be a real clown not to admit it."

Dave Gettleman has made a series of head-scratching moves that sometimes seem to contradict each other. Meanwhile, a fan base already angered by nearly a decade of failure, gets whiplash trying to figure him out.

So what is Gettleman doing? Apparently only Gettleman knows. To the media and to the paying customers, he said on Monday that it's none of our business.

He's wants everyone to trust the process. He wants everyone to trust him

Said Browns made them offer 'we couldn't refuse'

By John Healy | Mar 18 | 12:37PM

New York Giants GM Dave Gettleman gives his first public comments on why the team decided to trade away star receiver, Odell Beckham, Jr.

The Giants' decision to trade Odell Beckham Jr. to the Cleveland Browns for safety Jabrill Peppers and a first and third-round pick was "purely a football decision."

At least that is how GM Dave Gettleman is justifying it.

The Giants GM addressed the trade that shocked the NFL last week on a conference call with reporters on Monday and insisted that the reason for making the deal was because they received an offer that was just too good to pass up.

By the end of the 2019 season, Eli Manning will have been paid more than any player in NFL history. And he's about to get $5 million closer to his goal.

The Giants' 38-year-old quarterback will, as expected, get his $5 million roster bonus - yet another signal that Manning will be the Giants' starting quarterback this year. According to his contract, he is due the bonus if he's on the roster by the end of the fifth day of the league year.

Technically, Sunday is five days after the start of the new league year, but Manning's bonus will kick in on Monday, according to an NFL source.

Jerry Jones is head over heels that Odell Beckham Jr. is no longer in the NFC East.

The Cowboys owner joined Fox Sports 1 on Saturday night before the Errol Spence-Mikey Garcia fight at AT&T Stadium in Dallas when he was asked about the Giants' trade of Beckham to the Browns by analyst and Cleveland native Shawn Porter.

"We took a fantastic wide receiver out of your division," Porter said. "How do you feel about that?"

No guarantees Giants will select a QB in first round of NFL Draft

GM Dave Gettleman may favor a pass-rusher or offensive lineman with pair of picks

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) stands next to general manager Dave Gettleman during NFL football training camp, Wednesday, April 25, 2018, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) (Julio Cortez/AP)

Dave Gettleman has made it clear he wants to find the Giants' Quarterback of the Future, and he seems intent on doing it sooner than later.

But don't be so sure that he'll do it in the draft this year.

Despite the fact that the Giants have two first-round picks, and are in good position at No. 6 to take one of the first quarterbacks available, multiple NFL sources caution that the Giants seem to have other things in mind. They are looking into all the first-round quarterbacks, and taking one is definitely a possibility, a team source said.

Here's the Giants' path to actually being competitive this season

A lot must go Big Blue's way to change narrative of team

Sep 9, 2018; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley (26) celebrates his touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars with offensive tackle Nate Solder (76) and wide receiver Sterling Shepard (87) during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium. The touchdown was the first of his NFL career. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports (Brad Penner)

The Giants were 5-11 last year and missed the playoffs for the sixth time in seven seasons, and now the consensus seems to be that things will only get worse. There's little hope outside the Meadowlands after GM Dave Gettleman tossed Odell Beckham Jr., Landon Collins and Olivier Vernon away.

Yet Gettleman still thinks he can build a winner this season. Even new receiver Golden Tate insisted "I don't think we're as far off as people may think." Pat Shurmur has pointed to the 12 games the Giants played last season which were decided by a touchdown or less, including eight they lost, as a sign that it's a short leap to competitive football.

Are they all delusional? Or is there really a chance the Giants could be … good?

The Giants have added yet another former Cardinal who played in James Bettcher's defense.

On Friday, the team announced it signed defensive tackle Olsen Pierre, who went undrafted in 2015 and didn't appear in an NFL game until 2017. He had 30 tackles, 5.5 sacks, nine tackles for a loss and nine QB hits across 14 games during that 2017 season when Bettcher was Arizona's defensive coordinator. Pierre had 12 tackles in 10 appearances last season.

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Grading the Giants' offseason moves so far

Giants trying to replace Beckham, Collins and Vernon

Just 15 months ago, the Giants hired Dave Gettleman to fix the franchise. He earned praise for a series of early housecleaning moves. He seemed tough and honest, and it looked like he had a handle on the franchise's biggest problems.

The Giants have made far more headlines from the players they've lost than the players they've gained in free agency so far, whether it was from signings or trades. They entered the market with many holes to fill.

After making the splash of signing WR Golden Tate on Thursday night, the Giants switched to defense and signed OLB Markus Golden to a one-year deal, SNY's Ralph Vacchiano confirmed.

The Giants were in the market for an edge rusher after the Olivier Vernon trade to the Browns, and they're banking on Golden to be an immediate impact player in his place. He will be playing on a prove-it deal as his recent seasons warrant.

Golden was a former second-round choice by the Cardinals back in 2015, and he totaled four sacks, 10 quarterback hits, and 30 combined tackles in 15 games that year. It was in 2016, though, that he broke out with 12.5 sacks, 51 combined tackles, and 22 quarterback hits...

New York signs the veteran receiver to

Mar 14 | 4:43PM

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The Giants have already found a receiver to take Odell Beckham Jr.'splace, as veteran WR Golden Tate has agreed to a four-year deal with Big Blue. CAA Football, who Tate is represented by, made the deal official with a Twitter announcement.

Tate's deal is worth $37.5 million over the four years, with $23 million in guaranteed money, SNY's Ralph Vacchiano confirmed. Coming out to $9.375 million per season, that is slightly lower than Spotrac's market value for Tate at $10.2 million.

It was just yesterday that the Giants' shocking trade to send Beckham to the Browns was made official, but GM Dave Gettleman wasted no time finding his immediate replacement. He brings in a nine-year veteran with reliable hands, and the ability to run any route on the field...

Since the Giants made the shocking deal to send Odell Beckham Jr. to the Browns, there have been mixed reviews from New York fans and NFL fans around the world.

On one side, fans are upset to see Beckham -- arguably a Top 10 player in the league -- off the Giants. But there are also the fans that are saying good riddance to No. 13, who they believe was a cancer to the team.

Well, Beckham made sure to clarify the latter theory on Twitter with a little sarcasm...

Landon Collins on facing Giants: 'The game is circled on my calendar'

The Giants let Collins walk instead of franchising him

Mar 14 | 1:53PM

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New York Giants' Landon Collins (21) returns an interception for a touchdown during the first half of a preseason NFL football game against the New York Jets Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) (Julio Cortez/AP)

The Giants let Landon Collins walk, and now they'll be facing a motivated three-time Pro Bowler twice each season through 2024.

Collins, who signed a six-year deal with the Redskins -- with $45 million guaranteed -- talked Thursday about facing his former team.

According to Leonard, the Giants have reached out to the representatives for free agent WR Chris Hogan, who has spent the last three seasosn with the Patriots after spending the first four years of his career with the Bills.

The 30-year-old Hogan -- who has gotten a lot of work in the slot but is more versatile than that -- had 35 receptions for 532 yards and three touchdowns last season while playing 15 games.

By Danny Abriano | Mar 14 | 8:57AM

After brief comments on Wednesday, former Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. was in full reflection mode on Thursday morning -- the day after his shocking trade to the Browns became official.

"So many mixed emotions and feelings," Beckham captioned his post on Instagram. "This is all, a lot to process but it is reality. I don't kno exactly what to say so just gotta keep it real and short. I want to thank the NY giants organization for giving me an opportunity to do what God put me on this earth to do , I want to thank the organization and the owners for everything and especially giving me my first chance to be a part of the NFL. I want thank everyone in that building from the kitchen staff to my main man Jośe! I loved you guys dearly and always will. I gave u my all every Sunday. To the fans, some happy , some not, I just wanna thank u guys for making my experience in NY SOMETHIN ILL NEVER FORGET! To the New Yorkers and REAL NYG fans... you guys will always have a place in my heart, a beautiful city .. a beautiful place Thank You for every last moment and experience. Without them, I wouldn't be exactly who I am today ! LUV"

Wishing OBJ and OV the best, Gettleman excited about Peppers and Zeitler

Odell Beckham Jr. and Olivier Vernon are officially Cleveland Browns, as the Giants' trades were made official when the new league year kicked off at 4 p.m. on Wednesday.

Giants GM Dave Gettleman released an official statement about the trades by first wishing both former Giants nothing but the best as the move on with their careers.

"The New York Football Giants would like to thank Odell Beckham, Jr. for his contributions," Gettleman said. "We truly wish him well in Cleveland, and we want to wish OV the best and nothing but success for both of them."

It is far from unprecedented that teams give up on talented players because of their personalities.

This is often the case with wide receivers, who many carry a "diva" label, and apparently that was a major factor in why the Giants dealt Odell Beckham Jr. to the Browns on Tuesday.

Beckham often acted foolish at times on and off the field and a source told SNY's Ralph Vacchiano that the Giants thought Beckham was a "pain in the ass" and that the team wanted to move on from him before it became worse.

Odell Beckham Jr. thanks Giants fans as Browns trade becomes official

"I'm thankful to them along with the fans and people in that city for supporting me."

Oct 22, 2018; Atlanta, GA, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham (13) reacts after the offense was unable to convert a third down in the third quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports (Jason Getz)

The biggest trade of the offseason has been made official, as the Browns announced former Giants WR Odell Beckham Jr. is headed to Cleveland.

News broke on Tuesday night that the Giants' front office decided to trade their star receiver to the Browns in exchange for the team's 2019 first-round pick (No. 17 overall) and second third-round pick (No. 95) as well as S Jabrill Peppers.

Beckham, who SNY's Ralph Vacchiano heard from a source was "a little surprised" to hear from GM Dave Gettleman that the deal was done, wrote an official statement to the Browns website to show his excitement for this next chapter in his career.

Not even the guy who created Game of Thrones could imagine such a thing so cruel.

George R.R. Martin, author of the "A Song of Ice and Fire" series, is a New Jersey native a big Jets and Giants fan, but he was completely taken aback when the Giants traded Odell Beckham Jr. to the Browns in exchange for a first and third-round draft pick and safety Jabrill Peppers.

Giants sources reveal plans for Eli Manning, who is still under contract as team enters rebuild

What is in store for Manning after the stunning trade of Beckham?

After trading Odell Beckham, Jr., the Giants look to be in rebuilding mode, but what part of the team will GM Dave Gettleman address first?

The Giants are set to pay Eli Manning $16.5 million this season and his salary cap hit is a robust $23.2 million. That seems excessive for a 38-year-old quarterback of a team that's shedding its stars and is clearly rebuilding for the future.

But the Giants still plan to keep Manning for the 2019 season. And at the moment, it appears they'll be paying him all that money, too.

The stunning trade of Odell Beckham Jr. to the Browns on Tuesday did not alter any of those plans, multiple sources have told SNY. Manning is still expected to be the Giants' starting quarterback at the start of training camp, at the very least. And there is no indication at all that they'll attempt to cut his pay...

Source: "...there was a real fear that eventually it would get worse."

New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. reacts after missing a catch in the end zone during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. (Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports)

Dave Gettleman was telling the truth when he said the Giants didn't sign Odell Beckham Jr. to trade him. John Mara believed the receiver was a transcendent star the franchise could market and build around. Pat Shurmur, perhaps his greatest champion in the building, had worked overtime to build a relationship with the man he thought would be the linchpin of his offense.

So what happened? How did everything go so wrong that the Giants were willing to ship Beckham away less than seven months after giving him a five-year, $90 million contract?

What's next for Giants following Odell Beckham Jr. trade?

Finding a quarterback...and a new receiver is critical

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning and wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. react in the second quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. (Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports)

Ralph Vacchiano | Facebook | Twitter | Archive: The fallout from the Odell Beckham Jr. trade won't be clear until the Giants make their next move. It wasn't long ago they looked to be building around Beckham. Clearly they have now blown up that plan.

So what's next? How can the Giants replace him? And what does this mean for their present and future?

Here's a look at some of the ripple effects from one of the Giants' biggest deals in years:

Dave Gettleman absolutely hates the word "rebuild." Now, he has no choice but to use it.

No matter how the Giants' sell it in the coming days, that's what this franchise is undergoing right now, and likely for the foreseeable future. The stunning trade of Odell Beckham Jr. to the Cleveland Browns all-but proves it. Gettleman, entering his second year as general manager, has now just about blown up whatever was left from the Jerry Reese era, and is rebuilding the Giants' from relative scratch.

In the last few days alone he's jettisoned two of his best defensive playmakers. Now the departure of Beckham, one of the NFL's top receivers, leaves the Giants barren on offense too.